Paper-cutting machine.



PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

T.G.DEXTER. v PAPER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILED.AUG- 7. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- PATENTED NOV. 19; 1907.

T. G. DEXTER. PAPER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7. 1907.

ILIIIYIIIFI TALBOT G. DEXTER, OF PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK.

PAPER-CUTTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed August 7.1907. Serial No. 387.400.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TALBOT O. DEXTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pearl River, in the county of Rockland and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-CuttingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the type of power operatedguillotine paper cutting machines, in which the paper holding clamp isformed in two parts, one of which is movable independently of the otherto permit the manual lowering of said part into engage-ment with thepile of sheets upon the table while the other of which has connected toit the power operated mechanism by which the clam is operated.

The object o' my present invention is to provide a simple and effectivelatching device which will automatically couple the two parts. orsections of the clamping bar when the clamp. is operated by power, sothat the two. parts of the clamp will travel as one in their movementstoward and away from thepile, and at the same time will normally leavethe'two parts of the clamp uncoupled so that the lowerpart of the clampmay be moved into engagement with the pile by manual means. Toaccomplish this in a simple and convenient manner I mount upon the upperpart or section of the paper clamp,

a gravity hook which is adapted to automatically engage a lug orshoulder upon the lower part or section of the clamp, and I arrange u onthe cross-head ofthe cutting machine a racket arm which projects intothe path of the upper end of the coupling hook so that when the clamp israised away from the pile said bracket arm will operate the couplinghook for disconnecting it from the lower clamp member to leave the twomembers of the clamp in uncoupled condition to permit the lower clampingmember to be operated by manual means at the will of the operator, andwithout any previous manipulation of the coupling device. Thisarrangement is such that upon operating the clamp by the powermechanism, the initial downward movement of both clamping members Willmove the coupling hook away from the releasing bracket arm and allow itto fall into coupled position for connecting thev two clamping members,so that they will move asone.

In addition to the automatically operated coupling hook, I provide uponthe upper clamping member a spring clip into engagement with which thecoupling hook may be forced by hand for retaining the hook in releasedposition to enable the operator to o erate his machine continuously witht 1e manually operated lower member of the clamp, permitting the upperclamping member to remain in its elevated position. With thisarrangement the operator may also hold the lower member of the clamp inengagement with the paper until the knife has reached its elevatedposition after a cut, no

matter whether the clamp has been operated by power or manually.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will firstdescribe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, andafterwards point out the novelty in the annexed claims.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the main parts of apaper cutting machine having my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is adetail vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of the upper portion ofthe machine. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional view ona smaller scale, indicating the means for connecting the respectiveclamping members with the power mechanism and manually operatedmechanism. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of a section of the upperclamping member and the coupling hook.

For the purpose of illustrating my invencutting machine set forth inPatent No.

807,730, granted to me December 19th, 1905.

It will be understood, however, that I do not intend to limit myinvention to its application to this particular form of paper cuttingmachine, since it can with equal advantages be applied to many otherforms of paper cutting machines in which the clamp is made in two partsor members arranged for either power operation or manual operation atthe will of the operator. The side frames of standards 1 are firmlybraced and connected by the top rail or cross-head 2, the center rail 3,the bottom rock shaft 4, the cutter operating shaft 16, clamp operatingshaft 113 and the main power shaft of the machine (not shown). 80 is apaper supporting table or platform.

The reciprocating cross-head 7, carrying the cutting blade 8, is mountedto slide vertically and transversely of the machine in the verticalguide slots formed in the side frames 1 The paper holding clamp isformed of two parts or members 105 and 106 which are in effect twotransversely arranged bars resting one above the other and operating insuitable vertical slots or guide-ways formed on the inner faces of theside frames or standards 1. The upper part of member 105 of the clamphas secured to its opposite ends the depending rack bars 109 which arein constant mesh withgears 1 12 mounted upon the opposite ends of theclamp operating shaft 113 which is freely j ournaled in the side framesof the machine. These rack bars 109 rest in vertical slots or guidesformed in the opposite ends of the lower part or member 106 of theclamp, so that said lower member can move freely vertically upon theupper portions of rack bars 109.

Attached to the opposite ends of the. lower clamping member 106 are theends of ropes or chains 108 which pass up over the grooved pulleys 110and are connected at their lower ends beneath the paper supportingplatform with a counterbalance weight WV which balances the weight ofthe clamping members and the attached parts.

132 is a centrally arranged foot lever secured to the rock shaft 4 andhaving formed integral with it a rearwardly projecting rock arm 133which rests centrally beneath the counterweight W for raising the weightand lowering the member 106 of the clamp independently of the powermechanism.

Projecting rearwardly from the upper clamping member 105 is a rigid postor bracket arm 11S upon which is journaled at 116 a gravity couplinghook 117 formed with a lower hook end 117 and an upper controlling end117*.

The lower clamping member 106 has secured to its rear face a latchingshoulder or lug 119 with which the hook 117 is adapted to engage.

Projecting rearwardly and downwardly from the under face of the top railor cross head 2 is an inclined bracket arm 120 supported in the path ofthe upper end 117 'of the hook 117 so that when the clamping members arein their elevated position, the engagement of bracket arm 120 with theup per end of the hook 117 will hold the hook out of engagement with theshoulder or lug 119, so that the lower clamping member 106 may beoperated without moving the upper member 105.

Secured to the upper edge of the upper clamping member 105 is a springclip formed of two approximately parallel spring arms 121 secured to asupporting bracket 122,

which is mounted upon the clamp rail 105. The rearwardly presented endsof the spring arms'121 are flared outwardly slightly to guide the upperend of hook 117 into engagethe clamp is lowered by power through themechanism which acts upon shaft 113, both clamping members will bepulled down upon the pile of sheets upon thetable or platform throughthe pinions 113 and rack bars 109. As the two clamping members movedownwardly toward the paper, the hook 117 is disengaged from the bracketarm. 120 and allowed to fall by gravity into hooked engagement with theshoulder 119, for coupling the two members of the clamp, so as to causethem to operate as a unit. At the completion of the cutting operationwhen the clamp is raised, the upper end 117 of the hook 117 will againengage the bracket arm 120 and uncouple' the two clamp members.

'If it is desired to manually lower the clamp,

the operator presses upon the treadle lever 132 which will effect thelowering of the clamp member 106 without moving clamp member 105. If itis desired to operate the machine continuously with manual clamping, theoperator pulls the upper end 117 of hook 117 over into engagement withthe spring clip 12]., which will hold the hook out of operation. Thisspring clip may also be used when for any reason the operator de siresto apply the clamping pressure by power and retain the lower clampingmember in engagement with the pile while the upper power operated memberis moved back by the power mechanism. This is important in cutting verynarrow piles of paper, when it is frequently desired to manually holdthe clamp in engagement with the pile until after the knife has reachedits upper position following a cutting stroke.

It will be understood that any of the usual forms of manually operatedclamping mechanisms may be employed in connection with my invention forapplying clamping pressure to the lower clamping member independently ofthe power mechanism. I have not thought it necessary to illustrate anyof these common forms of manually operated clamping mechanisms, but havelimited the illustration to the form of mechanism which is particularlyuseful in moving the lower clamping member into engagement with the pileto test the adjustment of the parts.

What I claim is:

1. The combination in a paper cutting machine, of a pa er holding clampcomprising two vertical y movable parts or members, power operatingmechanism for one of said parts or members, manually operated mechanismfor the other part or member, and a gravity coupling hook freelyjournaled upon one member and adapted to engage the other member.

2. In a paper cutting machine, the combination of the upper and lowerclamping bars or members, independent operating means for said clampingbars or members, a couplin hook freely journaled upon one of saidmembers and adapted to automatically engage the other of said members,and a controlling bracket arm projecting from the machine frame andadapted to engage said hook for moving it into released. or uncoupledposition.

3.' In a paper cutting machine, the combination of the upper and lowerclamping bars or member arranged to move vertically toward and away fromthe pile upon the supporting table, a vertically arranged hook freelyjournaled upon the upper bar or memher, a latching shoulder upon thelower bar or member with which said hook is adapted to engage, and acontrolling arm mounted upon the machine frame above said hook andadapted to engage the hook when the clamp bars or members are in theirelevated position to move said hook into released position.

4. In a paper cutting machine, the combination of the upper and lowerclamping bars or members, a coupling hook pivotally mounted upon theupper member and adapted to engage the lower members, and means upon theupper member adapted to hold the hook in disengaged position.

5. In a paper cutting machine, the combination of the upper and lowerclamping bars or members, a coupling hook pivotally mounted upon theupper member and adapted to engage the lower member, and a spring clipmounted upon the upper member and adapted to engage the hook and retainit in released position.

TALBOT o. DEXTER.

Witnesses:

A. C. I'IAMMOND, G. B. LEITCH.

